


i spit on some good advice

by curtwen



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Ethan Green Lives, F/M, Fix-It, Happy Ending, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experiences, i dont know what to tag this as, to some extent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:53:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23987038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curtwen/pseuds/curtwen
Summary: Ethan Green wakes up in the Cineplex, beaten and bruised, head pounding, but alive. All he wants to do is find Hannah and Lex and get out of that fucking mall.He finds out it's easier with a team.
Relationships: Lex Foster/Ethan Green
Comments: 3
Kudos: 80





	i spit on some good advice

_ “Lex… I'll get you to California, Lex. Then you don't gotta cry so much no more.” _

Ethan woke up.

His head pounded, badly, and for a moment his vision went in and out, but he was awake. Alive? 

He struggled for a minute to remember what happened. He was going to take Hannah to that stupid Santa movie, but then he couldn't pay, and then…

Oh. Right. He got beat within an inch of his life by some crazy-looking grown men.

He had no idea how much time had passed, or where Hannah was. He told her to run, and then… Mr. Houston? He had been there, right? And some lady. Did they find Hannah? Lex?

Ethan attempted to sit up, letting out a groan. It all hurt so bad - his head, his stomach, even his legs. He definitely had a concussion, no doubt about it. As he sat up his vision went spotty again, and he had to wait a few seconds before he could move or see. He paused, and when he had control over his senses once more, he slowly fished through his pockets and took out his phone. Ethan was met by a large crack on the screen and he groaned, but it still turned on, which was all he needed.

However, when he looked at it, the time… was just what it had been before. There was no way. No way, right? He couldn't just pass out for like a minute. So he had no idea how long it had actually been, then. That meant Hannah could be anywhere. Did she get away? Was she safe?  _ God. Shit. Fuck. _

He attempted to stand, but that was quickly ruled out when his knees buckled under him and sent a flash of pain up his legs. “Okay. Okay. Okay!” he wheezed, clutching his knees. He gritted his teeth, then sighed.

“Help me! Someone please fucking help, god!” he shouted, as loud as he could manage. His chest felt like it was on fire and he coughed, grimacing at the blood drops that came out. At this point, Ethan had no idea if anyone was even around - or alive - but it was his best shot.

It felt like it had been another hour until someone finally came, his consciousness slipping in and out. “Oh! H-Hey! Hey! Ethan? Is that y - are you okay?” A panicked girl called to him, and he felt her hands on his arm, shaking him slightly. He blinked, attempting to focus, and his eyes widened upon recognizing the girl.

“Alice?” he asked weakly, and she nodded, appearing very nervous.

“Yeah, it - it’s me. Um, I-I got really concerned for my dad, ‘cuz, he came up here a few hours ago to get something and then he didn’t come back for a really long time, so, I got Deb to drive me up… And then…” She wiped her eyes, then looked back at Ethan. “What happened to you?”

Ethan coughed again, trying to make sure he didn’t spit blood on Alice, then responded, “Got attacked. Some… some fucking crazy - uh - some… these old dudes. I was…” He paused, laughing dryly. “...I was taking Lex’s kid sister to the - the movies. I don’t know… don’t know nothing about where she is now.”

Alice gave him a pitying look, and normally Ethan would be mildly annoyed, but he knew Alice, and he knew she meant it with compassion. “I’m so sorry, Ethan, I… W-We’ll find her, okay? Um, Deb’s still out in the car, so… I think… I can take you b-back there and we’ll patch you up, and then we can find, um…”

“Hannah.”

“Hannah. We’ll find her after that, okay? Is… is that okay?”

Ethan wanted nothing more than to find Hannah - and Lex - but he knew, reasonably, that he had to get fixed up before he could do anything of value. He sighed, then nodded. “...Yeah. Yeah, it's fine. Thanks, Alice.”

She tried to fumble out a reply, then just shook her head and positioned herself around him. “Um, I'm gonna help you up, alright? You can just, uh… just lean on my shoulder. We'll go out the theatre door, it's… kind of close to Deb’s car. Okay, one, two…”

Alice hefted him up with strength he didn't recall her having, and he threw an arm around her shoulder to steady himself. He let her lead him that way, sucking in a breath as they exited the theatre. It was weirdly cold outside, and despite all the cars in the parking lot, it felt empty. He shivered, moving closer to Alice, and she patted his side reassuringly as they moved down the sidewalk.

Ethan figured out fairly quick that Alice had lied about Deb’s car being close, but he didn't blame her. He preferred walking outside to the mall anyway. After another few minutes of walking - moreso stumbling in Ethan’s case - Deb’s car was in sight… and so was Deb.

“Why’s she - Deb! Deb, over here!” Alice called, waving her free arm. It took a moment, but Deb noticed and picked up speed, running over to the two.

They met halfway, and Deb seemed stuck between wanting to embrace Alice and gawking in confusion at Ethan. “What's he doing here?” she asked bluntly.

“He got hurt really bad, back in the mall. He's looking for Lex and her sister, but, well… it - it was  _ really  _ bad, Deb,” Alice explained.

“Oh… Oh. Okay, well, I got some first aid shit in my car, so… Here, lemme get his other side, babe,” she told Alice, and Ethan guessed he was also being talked to in a way. It involved him, anyhow.

Deb hoisted up his other side, and while Alice wasn't scrawny by any means, Deb outshone her very easily. With the carrying strength doubled, the two managed to get Ethan back to the car much faster.

For a moment Deb released his side to open the car door, and Alice helped him sit down in the backseat. He let out a breath of relief, being able to finally sit, though everything still throbbed something awful.

“Here, let me look you over,” Deb said to Ethan, first aid kit in hand. She crouched in front of the open door, and Alice slid in next to him on the other side.

“Well, uh, I got… got kicked in the head, and the stomach… and my legs hurt, too,” Ethan told her, and she nodded, pulling up his shirt without much care.

“Shiiiit, Ethan, this looks bad,” Deb whistled. He looked down and grimaced. She was right - he was already bruised badly, and some of the kicks had evidently broken skin, as his stomach was smeared with blood. Ethan quickly looked away, fighting down the rising nausea.

Deb popped open the first aid kit, first taking out a cloth or wipe - Ethan didn’t look that closely - to clean his stomach. It was cold at first, and damp, but it didn’t feel that bad, so he guessed she only put water or something on it. She worked for a bit to ensure the wound was clean, then took out a large bandaid and placed it over the open wound. “That one should be fine now,” she told him, pulling his shirt back down.

“Thanks, Deb,” Ethan thanked her, but his gaze was locked on the mall now. He could still only think about Hannah and Lex, anxious as to their whereabouts. “Say,” he spoke up again, breaking his staring contest with the building. “How - how do you know how to do all this shit?”

“Get in a lotta fights,” Deb answered plainly. “Gotta know how to patch myself up. Don’t you get in fights, Ethan?”

“Well, uh… not… really? I just kinda intimidate ‘em ‘til they go away, usually,” he answered, smiling sheepishly.

Deb laughed a little, pushing his shoulder gently. “‘Course you do. You can look as punk as you want, but your heart’s too golden for that.” She inspected his head then, moving hair aside to look his scalp over. Then she made a ‘tsk’ sound and grabbed the cloth again, dabbing at his head wounds.

“Hey, you know, I think bein’ nice is real fuckin’ punk,” Ethan protested. He tried not to focus on his head, though he did notice his vision wasn’t as spotty as before. That was a small victory, at least.

“Yeah, yeah,” Deb replied absently, still focusing on the wounds. “Listen, Ethan, with all this crap, it’s kind of a miracle you’re not dead right now. And conscious, actually. Wait, how long ago did this happen?”

“Uh… I… don’t know. My phone… The time’s, like, frozen or something.” He took it out of his pocket and handed it to Deb to look at, and she made a surprised face upon seeing he was actually telling the truth. 

Deb hummed, glancing back at his scalp. “Guess so. Well, it’s probably been a while. An hour, maybe? Now that you mention it… I don’t remember when I checked the time last, either. Hey, babe,” she raised her voice to grab Alice’s attention, “can you check the car’s clock? Maybe that one’s workin’.”

Alice nodded and slipped out of the backseat, getting into the driver’s. Deb had left her keys in the ignition - Alice was always complaining about her doing that - so she turned it on rather quickly. The car kicked to life, and so did the little radio, the digital clock lighting up.

“Um… that, um… well, Deb, I… I’m not sure it’s right,” Alice said nervously, glancing back at her girlfriend.

With a sigh, Deb looked over at the clock, then stopped. “...Huh. That’s… real weird. It’s the same time as on your phone, but…” She turned back to Ethan. “What’s going on here?”

“I… I don’t know. Just that… people in the mall, they’re goin’ - goin’ crazy right now. I think it’s, like… it’s a doll, or something? I mean, that Wiggly thing just got released at Lex’s job.”

Deb looked confused, but she waved it off dismissively. “Whatever, doesn’t matter right now. Gotta get you fixed up so we can get your girlfriend and her sister, yeah?”

Ethan nodded, muttering a ‘thank you’ as she started on his head again. It was silent for a few more minutes while Deb worked, Alice attempting to look reassuring as she fidgeted with her hands. He almost slipped out of consciousness again with no kind of stimuli to keep him grounded, but when Deb noticed, she lightly smacked his face until he was brought back to the present. “Awake! ‘M awake,” he mumbled.

“Better stay awake,” Deb shot back. “Anyway, I ended up just wrapping it. I’d get you ice or some shit, but I don’t have any on me. D’you know if there’s an ice machine in the mall?”

Ethan tried to think about it. He’d been in that mall dozens of times - with Lex, with Hannah, sometimes just on his own. “I… y-yeah, yeah, I think so. Near one of the entrances,” he managed.

“Good. ‘Cuz that’s our first stop. Alright, c’mon Ethan, up,” Deb ordered, stepping back to give him room, though she did extend her hand, pocketing something with the other. He took it, suddenly dizzy again as he tried to stand, but he pushed through it and got to his feet. Alice got out of the car as well, making her way to Ethan’s side like before. She got a firm grip around his torso, Deb doing the same, and he let them lead the way as they walked back to the mall.

The entrance they went through then wasn’t the one Ethan had gone through earlier, but it didn’t matter. It was closer to the tunnels than the Cineplex, actually, so if Hannah was still there, that’d be great for them.

The mall was eerily quiet, aside from the occasional banging and stomping sounds from afar. He could feel the girls’ discomfort as they continued moving, passing by some older man that Ethan deeply wished was just unconscious.

“H-Hey - hey, Deb, Ethan - look, over there. That’s… it’s an ice machine, right?” Alice spoke up, pointing over to a wall with a few vending machines. Deb inspected it for a moment, then brightened.

“Hell yeah it is, babe, good eye!” Deb cheered, and the trio made their way over. Ethan was set down on a bench in front of it as Deb fumbled with some coins in her pocket, almost shoving them into the machine. Ice cubes churned out with a grossly loud noise, but she paid it no mind, quickly wrapping them up in some spare bandage she took from her pocket. 

Makeshift ice pack done, she sat down next to Ethan and put it up to his head. He so wanted to recoil from the temperature, but he kept still. “Alright, you take it now,” she instructed, and the two swapped off on holding the ice. After he got used to the cold, it really did make his head feel a little better. The throbbing was quieter.

They started back up then, back to their system of helping Ethan around. He directed them to the tunnels, insistent on checking there first. The two didn’t argue, though, and after some time they made it there. It wasn’t a large place, by any means, but it was enough.

“Hey, Banana Split? You in there?” Ethan called out, voice cracking. He waited, listening intently.

No answer.

“It’s okay, it’s just Ethan,” he called again, panic setting in. “I came back, just like I - like I said I would. Hannah?”

“I… don’t think she’s here, Ethan,” Alice said quietly, patting his bicep. He stared out at the tunnels a moment longer before nodding, turning away.

“...We'll look somewhere else, then. She's probably… with Lex,” he replied dejectedly. Of course it wouldn’t have been easy to find her. He knew that, deep down. But he hadn’t wanted that.

Deb let out a sigh, then nodded to Alice, and they turned around, facing the rest of the mall again. “We keep looking,” Deb said, starting up their movement. Truth be told, Ethan’s arms were starting to ache a little bit, but he knew he'd be unable to walk otherwise, so he kept silent.

“Say, Ethan, you got any clue about where else she might be?” Deb asked, almost tentatively. After the brief disappointment, Ethan figured that she wanted to cushion his feelings, but it didn’t really matter. He needed to stop focusing on it, anyway. Considering the harsh beatdown he’d received, and the weird-ass state of the mall… Something really bad was happening. Acting like that wouldn’t help their situation any.

Resolve somewhat restored, he looked up, scrutinizing the mall. “No, not really. But we can just keep lookin’. She’s bound to be here somewhere, you know? And… that means I gotta look everywhere. Maybe… Maybe we’ll even find Lex on the way.”

“Oh, she works at Toy Zone, right? Should… should we try there? I-It’s close,” Alice piped up, and Ethan noticed she’d started worrying her bottom lip.

“No, I saw a bunch of lunatics running from there earlier,” Deb stepped in. “That place’s gone to shit. It’s all over that weird fuckin’ toy, the - what was it? Wiggles?”

_ Gone to shit…? Toy Zone? _

“Wiggly,” Alice said.

_ Lex... _

“Wiggly. Yeah. That fuck-ugly thing. I was drivin’ around, you know, waiting for Alice and all, and I swear some of the people leaving there had murder in their eyes, shoutin’ about the rise of their ‘God’ or some shit. It’s why I got outta the car, I was gonna just take Alice and go at that point.”

Alice suddenly looked distressed. “Wait, but, m-my dad-!”

“Your dad don’t give a shit, sweetie, we’ve talked about this. He’s… probably fine, anyway. Like a cockroach.”

“...D-Don’t… call him that…” Alice murmured.

“I'm sorry. Anyway, other than Toy Hell, do we have any idea at all?” Deb asked. “Ethan? …Hey, Ethan, you with us, buddy?”

Ethan jolted, quickly looking back up at Deb. “I - uh… Actually… I want to try Toy Zone. Just - just real quick, alright? I mean, Lex… She works there, y’know, so maybe… It’s worth a shot.”

For a moment Deb seemed to be scrutinizing him, likely thinking it over, but then she nodded. “Okay. If you’re sure, then yeah. We’ll look. It ain’t too far off from here, anyway. Alice?”

From Ethan’s other side, Alice nodded, and the two started up their routine once more, leading Ethan along. It gave him a chance to really inspect the current state of the mall. Something just wasn’t right. Everything felt so empty, and on a day like Black Friday, it was even more unsettling.

His suspicions were confirmed when they turned the corner to see Toy Zone, flames licking at the entrance of the store. It appeared to be almost completely in flames, the blaze beginning to spread.

“Oh,  _ shit!  _ Shit, shit, that place is fuckin’ toast now!” Deb cried, gripping Ethan’s shoulder just a little too tight. Alice let out a shriek, stepping backwards slightly.

_ Lex? _

His mind was racing. Surely Lex had gotten out of the store? There were doors to the outside, she had to have made it out. She had to. 

Ethan thought he could smell burning flesh, and he coughed and gagged, falling out of the girls’ grasp. He collapsed, dropping rather unceremoniously to his knees. It hurt, reigniting earlier pain, but he didn’t care. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was  _ Lex, _ and if she was okay, if she was safe.

Was Hannah there, too? Was she outside? He had no way of knowing, unless he could get out there, get outside, find them,  _ find them. _

“E-Ethan! Ethan, your injuries!” He heard Alice shouting at him, but it hardly registered. It didn’t matter, not as much as Lex and Hannah, if they were okay, safe,  _ were they burning in there? _

Deb grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back roughly, stopping him in his tracks. “Ethan Green, I know you wanna save your girl and her kid sister, but you ain’t gonna get  _ shit _ done like that, so get your ass back up here,” she hissed into his ear.

Ethan snapped back to reality, slowly shaking his head. “...Yeah, you’re… you’re right. Sorry. I just… Toy Zone, it…”

He didn’t look over at her, but he felt like she softened a bit as she replied, “I know. Come on, let’s get to an exit.” Deb hoisted him up, and they settled back into their pattern, walking back in the direction of the Cineplex. It was the best they could do, considering the growing blaze surrounding the toy store.

As they rounded the corner towards their destination, Alice spoke up, a bit nervously. “Do you, um… Do you think - I mean - what… what could’ve caused that? That fire?”

“Probably one of those lunatics I saw earlier,” Deb answered flatly. “Swear to god, some weird shit was goin’ down in there.”

“Yeah, that’s, um, that’s probably it. Um… You know, I was - I was just thinking about it, and, uh… did either of you smell, um… b-burnt bodies?” Alice asked again, and her voice wavered as she voiced a concern Ethan had tried not to think about.

“Yeah,” the two spoke in unison.

“Okay,” Alice said quietly, and silence fell over the group once more.

The Cineplex looked exactly as it had when Ethan was last there. It was unsettling, to say the least. He could’ve sworn he saw his own blood on the floor in smears, and he quickly tried to look away. If the girls noticed, he couldn’t tell. They made quick work of the place, exiting as fast as they could, and the fresh air of the outside was a welcome respite.

Deb surveyed the area before she spoke up, “Hey, guys, it looks like there’s a group over there. Kinda close to Toy Zone. You think it’s…?”

“Let’s book it,” Ethan replied near-immediately.

Deb nodded, and they sped up the pace, closing the distance between them and the group of people ahead. His vision was still spotty due to the brightness of the sunlight and his head injury, but Ethan swore he saw dark brown hair falling on a grey denim hoodie.

He hoped, at least.

Soon enough they were within earshot, and then the distance grew smaller and smaller until they were so close that he heard Tom Houston let out a shocked greeting and  _ Lex. _

Lex turned to see him approach, and a gleeful smile broke out on her face. He was certain it mirrored his own, and then he felt her arms around him in a tight embrace, two others detaching from around his torso. She held him tightly, clutching his back like he’d disappear if she let go, and he couldn’t blame her. He felt the same.

“Lex, babe, I’m so glad you’re safe,” Ethan breathed, burying his face in the crook of her neck. He could hear her shaky breaths, light with laughter. It was comforting, more than ever.

“God, fuck, Ethan, you have no idea the shit I just went through,” Lex exclaimed, and he noticed she was trembling slightly. “I’ve had a fucking  _ morning, _ I - where have you  _ been? _ ”

“Oh, I just… almost died, y’know? It - it’s not a big deal.” He was only partly joking, really.

“You almost - shit, Ethan, god, I’m so glad you’re okay, I mean - I did too, but… God, I’m so fucking glad you’re okay.”

_ She what? _ Her words didn’t process in his brain at first, and when they did, his blood ran cold. “Was it the fire? Did some, uh - some… crazy shopper set it off? Are you-”

Lex interrupted his worried ramblings fairly quickly. “No, no, it’s… Look, it’s a really long story, I can tell you later, but… No, it wasn’t that. I’ll just - I’ll fill you in later, what - what happened to  _ you? _ ”

Right. He had to explain that. Ethan took in a breath, eyes fixating on a certain jagged rock in the asphalt. “It was in the Cineplex. Couldn’t get that fuckin’ movie for Banana, but then… There were these insane adults, they… I got Hannah to run, but they beat the shit outta me. Speakin’ of, where is she?”

“Ethan!” Hannah cried out, and he felt her run at him, her small form embracing him almost as tight as Lex. He let out a relieved laugh, dropping one arm down to pat her head.

“Hey, Banana. I’m glad you got out of there.”

“This… really you?” she asked tentatively, and he could feel her drawing circles on his jacket.

The question perplexed him a bit, but he paid it little mind. “Yeah, it’s me. I’m okay, promise. My friends - they got me all patched up. I’m here now, alright Banana Split?”

For some reason, she seemed to stiffen at the nickname. “Webby... Webby said you died,” she said quietly. “And then… I saw you, but not you.”

“Uh… w-well, Webby was wrong, okay? Even, uh, even space spiders can get shit wrong sometimes. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere,” Ethan tried to reassure her. He had no idea what she was going on about, but that didn’t matter. She was safe, and okay.

After a moment, Hannah nodded slowly. “Okay, Ethan. I missed you.”

“Hey, you too, kid.” He smiled, and Lex planted a kiss on his cheek. He almost giggled - not that he’d ever admit it, of course not. Hannah broke away from their embrace, and Lex did too, but kept enough of a grip on him to keep him up and steady. “Today was… really, really bad,” Lex said quietly.

Ethan nodded in agreement. “Yeah. But… it’s okay now. We’re okay.”

With a smile, Lex met his eyes. “We’re so okay. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> idk how i feel about this LOL but uh. ive been trying to write it for like a month and i just want to finally post it so here it is. the ending feels kind of unfulfilling so i might make a second part later..... maybe? we'll see
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


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